EMC and Functional Safety requirements - Railway signalling applications

Railway signalling equipment perform a safety critical function within the railway and thus fall under the remit of Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) and Functional Safety. However, there is a lack of standards which address the performance of railway signalling equipment to electromagnetic disturbance. This paper reviews the challenges facing the development of EMC and Functional Safety standards. It describes the approach taken on some projects to address this issue and proposes a methodology based on current IEC standard development activity.